Democratic Republic of Congo receives visitors from all over the world throughout the year, the biggest percentage of these visit to do gorilla trekking. Even when news always connects the country with insecurity due to unsuspected rebel attacks, tourism is Congo is a very serious and active industry with the utmost security always reassured to all tourists. Usually referred to as DRC, Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest country in Africa after Algeria and also the 4th most populated in Africa with an estimated population of 75 million people.
Congo is located in East Africa and shares its borders with Central African Republic in the North, Republic of Congo in the Northwest, South Sudan in the Northeast, Uganda in the East, Burundi and Rwanda also in the East, Zambia to the South, Angola to the South West and the Atlantic Ocean in the West.
The country is so rich in tourism in that 12% of it is covered by protected areas that include reserves and national parks. Congo is known for hosting endemic species which include okapi, bonobos, Congolese peacock and Mountain gorillas together with the lush green forests and their rich African culture all of which are interesting to see and experience.
Virunga National Park is located in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo at the edge of the second largest tropical rainforest in the World, the Congo basin. Having been designated as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1979, Virunga National Park is the oldest national park in Africa and also its most bio diverse protected area.
The park is known to be a habitat to thousands of wildlife species including mammals, birds, and reptiles among others more than any other protected area in the world inclusive of endangered species. Virunga National Park is part of the Virunga Conservation Area which covers areas of Uganda and Rwanda and also the only place where mountain gorillas can be trekked in the whole world.
Climate in the park is accommodative to all tourists and wildlife as its warm and mild depending on the season since the park is also crossed by the Equator which brings with it the equatorial climate and the savannah vegetation that support the wildlife. In addition to this, the park is surrounded by different water bodies including Lake Kivu, Lake Albert, Lake George, R. Congo, R. Semliki, among others that create a mix in the climate to fit the alpine vegetation and montane forests in the park.
Virunga National Park is home to different over 706 bird species, 218 mammal species including; buffaloes, elephants, leopards, hippopotamus, giant forest hog, okapi among others. Virunga National Park is also home to the world’s largest lava lake with boiling lava throughout the year which is found at the peak, an experience that cannot be gotten anywhere else.
Located in Eastern Congo near Bukavu town on Lake Kivu’s western bank, Kahuzi-Biega National Park is home to the Grauer’s gorilla commonly known as the Eastern Lowland Gorillas, the largest amongst all other gorilla species and is also home to other primates. The park was named after two dormant volcanoes within the area — Mount Biega and Mount Kahuzi. Having been founded in 1970, the park is famous for trekking of the Eastern Lowland Gorillas and adventure that is so memorable tourists have a chance to track these gorillas to their habitats.
The park is covered by green vegetation inclusive rainforests and swampy vegetation. This attracts different bird species as the park is recorded to have about 349 bird species which includes 42 that are endemic species. Other than the Eastern Lowland Gorillas, the park is also habitat to other unique world life including the Bongo antelope, the dwarf buffalo, eastern chimpanzees, among others.
This is the most famous activity and the reason why many tourists visit Virunga and Kahuzi-Biega National Parks. At Virunga National Park, 8 gorilla families are available for trekking and two gorilla families are available in Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Compared to Uganda and Rwanda, gorilla trekking in Congo is cheaper due to the low price of gorilla permits.
Virunga National Park is home to Mount Nyiragongo which has the largest lava lake at its peak. When you visit Congo, you wouldn’t want to leave without having a chance to see boiling molten lava at a cold mountain peak. The experience is adventurous and an actual test to real hikers. Tourists who visit Kahuzi-Biega National Park also have an opportunity to hike Mount Kahuzi and Mount Biega and can see the beauty of the park from the mountain summit.
Deep in the rainforests within Virunga National Park is a place habituated for chimpanzees. Aside from gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking is the other popular activity within the park as tourists have a jungle adventure as they track and interact with chimpanzees.
With the park being habitat to numerous species, it’s a perfect destination for bird watching with species such as the Narrow-tailed starling, African fish eagle, Grey throated barbet among others. The park also hosts migrating birds that come to the park which at times records the number of bird species to reach 700.
This activity is popular for tourists who visit Kahuzi-Biega National Park. With a boat cruise, tourists have an experience of the cool water breeze as they watch the different bird species, visit the different islands including the monkey island, peace island and Napolean Island.
Some roads leading to the different tourism destinations are not in good conditions, this means travelling during rainy season could make your trip complicated and disturbing.
Other activities such as gorilla trekking and hiking are also adventurous and more enjoyable during the dry season. The dry months usually are January, February, June, July, August and September; however, you can still visit any time you please.
We have proper understanding of the local context of Safaris in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, DRC and Burundi which helps us secure pleasant, safe, and memorable experiences for our clients from the time they arrive into the country, to the time they depart.